Famous quotes

Quotes by famous people, credited to who said them. Your own quotes must not match any of these. More are added all the time. 1,158,269 quotes Who coined it · How we decide

English Italiano Polski עברית Français Português فارسی Español 中文 Русский Deutsch العربية हिन्दी 日本語 Ελληνικά Latina

Robert Monroe

75 quotes

“There was no question that I was deeply afraid of what might happen to me if the "condition" continued. I was much more concerned about the possibility of a growing mental illness than a physical deterioration. I had studied enough psychology and had enough psychologist and psychiatrist friends to compound such fears. Moreover, I was afraid to discuss the matter with these friends. I was afraid that I would then be classified as their "patients," and lose the closeness that equality (normalcy) brings. Non-professional friends in business and community would be worse. I would be labeled a freak or psychotic, which could seriously affect my life and the lives of those close to me. Finally, it seemed to be something to keep from my family. It seemed unnecessary that they worry along with me.”
Robert Monroe (1915–1995) said by 1995 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“In the Eastern religions I found more acceptance of the idea, as Dr. Bradshaw had indicated. There was much talk of the existence of a non-physical body. Again, such a condition of being was the product of great spiritual development Only Masters, Gurus, and other long-trained Holy Men had the ability to leave their physical bodies temporarily to achieve indescribable mystical insights. There were no details, and no pragmatic explanation of what was meant by spiritual development. Implied was that in the practices of secret cults, sects, lamaseries, etc., such details were common knowledge. If this were true, what or who was I? Certainly too old to start life anew in Tibetan monastery. The loneliness became acute. Evidently, there were no answers. Not in our culture.”
Robert Monroe (1915–1995) said by 1995 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I discovered the existence of an underground... This underground only occasionally intermingles in part with the worlds of business, science, politics, academia, and the so-called arts... it definitely...infiltrates all of Western civilization.... one thing is usually certain: members of this underground who are respected in their communities don't talk about the interest or beliefs that qualify them for membership unless they know you too are in the club. They have learned from experience that to be outspoken brings censure —from their ministers, customers, employers, or even friends... They are found in all walks of life: scientists, psychiatrists, physicians, housewives, college students, businessmen, teenagers, and at least a few ministers in formal religions... They gather in small groups, quietly and often semi-secretly... usually discuss affairs of the underground only with other members... All are to some degree emotionally and intellectually dedicated to a cause. Finally, the underground has its own literature, language, technology, and to some extent demigods.”
Robert Monroe (1915–1995) said by 1995 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“According to the literature of the psychic underground, the religious-mystical history of man constantly makes reference to this Second Body. Long before Christianity and the Bible appeared, cultures in Egypt, India, and China, to name a few, held the Second Body idea as standard operating procedure. Historians have found these references again and again, but evidently consigned them to the mythology of the times.If one reads the Bible from this point of view, the belief is confirmed many times in both the Old and New Testaments. In the Catholic Church are found consistent reports of saints and other religious figures having such experiences, some of them willfully. Even in Protestantism, devout followers have reported the out-of-body experience during some form of religious ecstasy.In the Orient, the concept of a Second Body has long held a natural and accepted position of reality.”
Robert Monroe (1915–1995) said by 1995 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“In the fall of 1964 an interesting meeting was held one evening in Los Angeles. It was composed of some twenty assorted psychiatrists, psychologists, scientists, et al—and myself. It was a most rewarding evening. The purpose of the meeting was to examine with sincerity and seriousness the experiences and experiments which have been condensed herein. After several hours of interrogation by the group, it was my turn. I asked two simple questions of each of them:"If you were going through what I have been experiencing, what would you do?"...It was the definite opinion of the majority—more than two thirds—that every effort should be made to continue, such experimentation in the hope of enlightening and expanding man's knowledge of himself. Several half seriously stated that I should run, not walk, to the nearest psychiatrist. (None present offered his services.) The second question: "Would you, personally, take part in experiments that would lead to the creation of such unusual activity in yourself?”
Robert Monroe (1915–1995) said by 1995 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Some of the key reports from the notes, which aroused their interest. 9/10/58 Afternoon. Again, I floated upward, with the intent of visiting Dr. Bradshaw... ill in bed with a cold... I would visit him in the bedroom, which was a room I had not seen in his house and if I could describe it later, could thus document my visit../Momentarily, I saw (in the sky?) a figure of a rounded human form, seemingly dressed in robes and a headpiece on his head (an oriental concept remains), sitting, arms in lap, perhaps cross-legged a la Buddha; then it faded... I had the feeling that the energy was leaving, and I felt I wouldn't make it. With this thought, an amazing thing happened. It felt precisely as if someone had placed a hand under each arm and lifted me... I came upon Dr. and Mrs. Brad-show. They were outside the house... I floated around in front of them, waving, trying to get their attention without result...”
Robert Monroe (1915–1995) said by 1995 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Important aftermath: We phoned Dr. and Mrs, Bradshaw that evening...With Mrs. Bradshaw on the phone, I asked the simple question. She stated that roughly at four twenty-five they were walking out of the house toward the garage... The coincidences involved were too much. It was not important to prove this to anyone else... It proves to me—truly for the first time—that there might well be more to this than normal science and psychology and psychiatry allow—more than an aberration, trauma, or hallucination— and I needed some form of proof more than anyone else... It is a simple incident, but unforgettable.”
Robert Monroe (1915–1995) said by 1995 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“On a sunny afternoon, you start off. Naturally, you rise high in the air so as to avoid obstacles of trees, buildings, etc. Uncertain, you don't go too high. You want to be able to recognize landmarks which might be difficult to see from five thousand feet. Therefore, you stay low, about a hundred feet off the ground. Now, which way to go. You look for points of familiarity. It is at that moment you realize you have a problem. You don't have a compass course to George's house, and it wouldn't do you any good if you did. You don't have a compass. Undaunted, you decide to cut across the city, using the familiar buildings and streets as guideposts. You have driven the route many times, so you should find your way easily.”
Robert Monroe (1915–1995) said by 1995 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“11/27/62...Went into relaxation countdown... Used peel-off to get out of body, just as if outer layer of physical were being removed, then free and floating in room...Went slowly through west wall, feeling texture of each layer of material... Stiff concentrating on Mr. Bahnson, finally stopped. Was in normal-sized room, bedroom, with three people in it. There was a large bed to the right, and two adults lay on it. A little girl, about five or six, was sitting on the floor beside the bed, to the left of it. The little girl looked directly at me and said excitedly, "1 know what you are!' I turned to her, as gently and warmly as I could so as not to frighten her, and said, "You do? Good! What am I?" She was not at all afraid when she said, "You're an astral projection!" (She may have used another term such as "ghost," but it was definite understanding on her part, one way or another.)...I sensed a need to return to the physical, and turned back to the three people. I asked if they would like to see me "take off" and the little girl was eager, and the two adults appeared relieved. I used stretch technique, shot up through the ceiling, and returned to the physical without problems.”
Robert Monroe (1915–1995) said by 1995 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“As you think, so you are. In this environment, no mechanical supplements are found. No cars, boats, airplanes, or rockets are needed for transportation. You think movement, and it is fact. No telephones, radio, television, and other communication aids have value. Communication is instantaneous. No farms, gardens, cattle ranches, processing plants, or retail outlets are in evidence. In all experimental visits, no food energy needs were indicated. How energy is replaced—if it is truly spent—is not known. "Mere" thought is the force that supplies any need or desire, and what you think is the matrix of your action, situation, and position in this greater reality. This is essentially the message that religion and philosophy have been attempting to convey throughout the ages, although perhaps less bluntly and often distorted.”
Robert Monroe (1915–1995) said by 1995 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We had no idea that sounds existed beyond the range of human hearing until we developed instruments to detect, measure, and create them. Until comparatively recently, those who claimed they could hear what others could not were considered insane or persecuted as witches and sorcerers. We were able to perceive the electromagnetic spectrum only in terms of heat and light until the last century. We are still unaware of the capacity of the human brain, an electrochemical organism, in terms of transmission and reception of electromagnetic radiation. With this gap unbridged, it is easy to understand why modern science has not begun to consider the ability of the human mind to penetrate an area where no serious theory has been promulgated.”
Robert Monroe (1915–1995) said by 1995 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“11/18/58 NightThe vibrations came in strong, but nothing more. Again, I thought to try the rotation. When I did, it worked, and I rotated slowly into the 180° position. There was the wall and the hole and the blackness beyond. This time I was more cautious. Carefully, I reached a hand through into the blackness. I was astounded when a hand took mine and shook it! It felt like a human hand, normally warm to the touch. After the handshake, I withdrew my hand quickly. Slowly, I reached into the hole again. The hand shook mine again, and placed a card in it. I withdrew my hand and "looked" at the card. It gave a specific address. I returned the card through the hole, shook hands again, withdrew my hand, rotated back to normal, merged with the physical, and sat up. Most unusual. I will have to investigate this address on Broadway, if it is in New York.”
Robert Monroe (1915–1995) said by 1995 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“To date, in twelve years of non-physical activities, I find no evidence to substantiate the biblical notions of God and afterlife in a place called heaven. Perhaps I have found this and simply haven't recognized it. It is quite possible. It may be that I am not "qualified." On the other hand, much of what I have encountered could be some basics which have been distorted through hundreds of years... Somewhere, someone knew how to pray. He tried to teach others. A few learned the methodology. Others absorbed only the words, and the words themselves became altered and changed over the years. Gradually, the technique was lost, until accidentally (?) rediscovered periodically through the ages. In the latter cases, only rarely has the rediscoverer been able to convince others that the Old, Established Way is not quite right.”
Robert Monroe (1915–1995) said by 1995 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The moment I left the physical, I became aware of three beings in the room. I stayed cautiously close to my physical body as they came nearer. They started to pull at me, not hard, but deliberately as if to see what I would do. They were having a good time at it. I tried to stay calm, but there were three of them. I wasn't sure I could get back into the physical quickly enough before they pulled me away. So I prayed. Again, I used every prayer I knew. I asked God to help me. I prayed in the name of Jesus Christ for help. I tried a few saints I had heard of through my Catholic wife. The result? My tormentors laughed loudly and worked me over more enthusiastically. "Listen to him pray to his gods," one chuckled, most contemptuously. "Listen to him!" I think I got a little angry after that. I began to push back, got close to my physical body, and dove in. I wasn't exactly fighting back, but I certainly didn't remain passive.”
Robert Monroe (1915–1995) said by 1995 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“In non-physical trips to Locale II, often there is a "layer" or area which one must pass through...It is a gray-black hungry ocean where the slightest motion attracts nibbling and tormenting beings... If you move slowly and do not react to the curious "fish" who come to investigate, you pass through without much incident. Move violently and fight back, then more excited denizens come rushing in to bite, pull, push, shove.Could this be the borders of hell? It is easy to conclude that a momentary penetration of this nearby layer would bring "demons" and "devils" to mind as the chief inhabitants. They seem subhuman, yet have an evident ability to act and think independently. Who and what are they? I don't know. I haven't taken the trouble to stay there long enough to find out. Only by terrified trial and error did I find the method to pass through in reasonable peace.”
Robert Monroe (1915–1995) said by 1995 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“In these worlds where thoughts are not only things, but are everything, including you, your poison or perfection is of your own making. If you are a remorseless killer, you may end up in that part of Locale II where all are of the same design. This truly would be hell for such people, for there would be no innocent, defenseless victims. Project this outward, and you can begin to perceive the myriad variations. Your destination in the heaven or hell of Locale II seems to be grounded completely within the framework of your deepest constant (and perhaps non-conscious) motivations, emotions, and personality drives. The most consistent and strongest of these act as your "homing" device when you enter this realm. I am sure of this because it always works this way when I have traveled non-physically in Locale II. It works this way whether I want it to or not. The least stray desire at the wrong time, or a deep-seated emotion I wasn't aware of, diverts my trip in that 'like" direction. Some of the resulting destinations have had all the aspects of hell to me. Others might possibly be construed as heaven...”
Robert Monroe (1915–1995) said by 1995 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“At the Signal, each living thing lies down—my impression is on their backs... with head turned to one side so that one does not see Him as He passes by. The purpose seems to be to form a living road over which He can travel...The purpose of the abdominal exposure is an expression of faith and complete submissiveness...There is no movement, not even thought, as He passes by. Everything has come to a momentary standstill, full and complete, while He passes. In the several times that I have experienced this, I lay down with the others. At the time, the thought of doing otherwise was inconceivable. As He passes, there is a roaring musical sound and a feeling of radiant, irresistible living force of ultimate power that peaks overhead and fades in the distance... After His passing, everyone gets up again and resumes their activities. There is no comment or mention of the incident, no further thought of it There is complete acceptance of the event as an ordinary part of their lives, and this is the great yet subtle difference. It is an action as casual as halting for a traffic light at a busy intersection, or waiting at the railroad crossing when the signal indicates that a train is coming; you are unconcerned and yet feel unspoken respect for the power represented in the passing train. The event is also impersonal.”
Robert Monroe (1915–1995) said by 1995 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“To me, it was a place or condition of pure peace, yet exquisite emotion. It was as if you were floating in warm soft clouds where there is no up or down, where nothing exists as a separate piece of matter. The warmth is not merely around you, it is of you and through you. Your perception is dazzled and overwhelmed by the Perfect Environment. The cloud in which you float is swept by rays of light in shapes and hues that are constantly changing, and each is good as you bathe in them as they pass over you. Ruby-red rays of light, or something beyond what we know as light, because no light ever felt this meaningful. All the colors of the spectrum come and go constantly, never harshly, and each brings a different soothing or restful happiness... You respond and drink into you the eternity of the blues, yellows, greens, and reds, and the complexities of the intermediates. All are familiar to you. This is where you belong. This is Home... The mundane is missing. Choirs of human-sounding voices echo in wordless song. Infinite patterns of strings in all shades of subtle harmony interweave in cyclical yet developing themes, and you resonate with them. There is no source from which the Music comes. It is there, all around you, in you, you are a part of it, and it is you.”
Robert Monroe (1915–1995) said by 1995 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“It is the purity of a truth of which you have had only a glimpse. This is the feast, and the tiny tidbits you tasted before, back there, had made you hope for the existence of the Whole. The nameless emotion, longing, nostalgia, sense of destiny that you felt back there when you stared at the cloud layered sunset in Hawaii, when you stood quietly among the tall, waving trees in the silent forest, when a musical selection, passage, or song recalled memories of the past or brought forth a longing for which there was no associated memory, when you longed for the place where you belonged, whether city, town, country, nation, or family—these are now fulfilled. You are Home. You are where you belong. Where you always should have been.”
Robert Monroe (1915–1995) said by 1995 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Most important, you are not alone. With you, beside you, interlocked in you are others. They do not have names, nor are you aware of them as shapes, but you know them and you are bonded to them with a great single knowledge. They are exactly like you, they are you, and like you, they are Home. You feel with them, like gentle waves of electricity passing between you, a completeness of love, of which all the facets you have experienced are but segments and incomplete portions. Only here, the emotion is without need of intense display or demonstration. You give and receive as an automatic action, with no deliberate effort. It is not something you need or that needs you. The "reaching out" is gone. The interchange flows naturally. You are unaware of differences in sex, you yourself as a part of the whole are both male and female, positive and negative, electron and proton. Man-woman love moves to you and from you, parent-child-sibling-idol and idyll and ideal—all interplay in soft waves about you, in you, and through you. You are in perfect balance because you are where you belong. You are Home.”
Robert Monroe (1915–1995) said by 1995 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“One of the greatest enigmas of this whole affair is that someone—or more than one—has been helping me from time to time in such experimentation. Perhaps they are with me every time, and I am just not aware of them. I do not know who these helpers are or why they are helping me. They certainly do not seem to be guardian angels, although a more conventionally oriented personality might so interpret them. They do not always respond when I need help, nor are they always responsive to prayer. Mental anguish and screaming have sometimes brought one of them. More often, they help me when I do not ask for help—or again, when I am not aware of asking. Their assistance seems to be more of their choosing and deliberation than mine. They are rarely "friendly" in the sense that we understand the term. Yet there is a definite sense of understanding, knowledge, and purposefulness in their actions toward me. I feel no intent on their part to bring harm to me and I trust their directions.”
Robert Monroe (1915–1995) said by 1995 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I was about to lift out when two hands held a book in front of my closed eyes. The book was riffled, turned around on all sides so that I could see that it was a book. The book was then opened, and I started to read. The gist of what I read was that in order willfully to bring back a condition, it was necessary to recreate the feeling of a similar experience that had occurred in the past (i.e., was a part of your memory). I took this to mean that one should think of the "feeling," rather than the details of the incident. Several illustrations were given, then gradually the book went out of focus as the vibrations faded, and try as I might, I could not continue reading. Finally, I sat up physically and made notes.”
Robert Monroe (1915–1995) said by 1995 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“In retrospect, I still cannot find an alternative, nor do I know of any method, place, person, religious practice (that I would be sure of), drug, or anything else in my fund of knowledge, experience, and information that would absolutely guarantee protection against whatever attacked me. However, there must be something other than the pure "fighting back" in self-defense, even if you don't know what you are fighting. It was the same defense mechanism you would use if you were attacked by an animal at night in the jungle. You don't stop to find a way to fight in the middle of the fight. You don't stop to find out what attacked you. You fight to save yourself, with what you have now, the moment the animal attacks. You fight desperately, not thinking at the time how to fight, why you fight, whom you fight. You have been attacked; the unprovoked attack in itself seems to indicate to you that whatever is attacking you is not good, or else it would not attack you in this manner.”
Robert Monroe (1915–1995) said by 1995 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“This Second Body has weight as we understand it. It is subject to gravitational attraction, although much less than the physical body. The physicist might explain this, of course, by saying that it is a question of mass, and anything that can interpenetrate a wall must have so little density as to be able to sift through the space between the molecular matter structure. Such little density implies very little mass—but it still may be matter. This is further supported by the half-out experiment, where the legs and hips were separated, then allowed to drift downward and drape over the bed. The low-density mass fell as a feather would fall. Pushing through the wall may be an example also.”
Robert Monroe (1915–1995) said by 1995 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“There is an acute awareness of "difference," which is like radiation (as it may well be) from the sun, or a fire as felt by one shivering with cold. It is dynamically attractive and needed. This attraction varies in intensity with the individual... The "act" itself is not an act at all, but an immobile, rigid state of shock where the two truly intermingle, not just at a surface level and at one or two specific body parts, but in full dimension, atom for atom, throughout the entire Second Body. There is a short, sustained electron (?) flow one to another. The moment reaches unbearable ecstasy, and then tranquillity, equalization, and it is over.”
Robert Monroe (1915–1995) said by 1995 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source